Title 17C Land Use Standards
Chapter 17C.124 Downtown Zones
Section 17C.124.510 Windows – Building Design
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Purpose.
In the downtown the facade and window standards are required in order to:
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provide a pleasant, rich, and diverse pedestrian-friendly experience by connecting activities occurring within a structure to adjacent sidewalk areas;
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encourage observation or viewing opportunities by restricting fortress-like facades at street level; and
- avoid a monotonous pedestrian environment.
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Required Street Facing Window Area and Façade Features.
These provisions apply to building facades in the downtown zones.
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For buildings facades visible from, fronting on, and located within sixty feet of a lot line of a complete street the minimum percentage window glazing requirements found within Table 17C.124.510-1 Complete Street Window Standards apply. On the ground floor, display windows may be used to meet half of the requirement. (R)
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On Type III streets in the DTG, DTU, and DTS zones a minimum of fifty percent of any ground floor nonresidential building facade that is visible from and located within twenty feet of the lot line of an arterial street designated on the arterial street plan shall be comprised of windows. Display windows may be used to meet half of this requirement. (R)
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In all downtown zones, buildings that do not front on a designated complete street or an alley a minimum of thirty percent of any ground floor nonresidential building facade that is visible from, fronting on, and located within sixty feet of the lot line of the street shall be comprised of windows. Display windows may be used to meet half of this requirement. (R)
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In all cases, required window glazing between two and forty feet shall comprise of clear, “vision” glass allowing views into the interior. (R)
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Blank wall areas on street facing facades may not extend more than twenty-five feet without a window, glass-covered display area, entryway, or a recessed area of a minimum size of two feet deep by six feet wide by ten feet high.
Maximum ground floor blank wall length
- For portions of facades that do not have windows, see guidelines for treating blank walls, SMC 17C.124.570.
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Table 17C.124.510-1 Complete Street Window Standards [1]
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DTC
(Downtown Core)
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DTG
(Downtown General)
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DTU
(Downtown University)
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DTS
(Downtown South)
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Window Requirement of Facades of Non-residential Uses Fronting a Complete Street by Street Type
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All Streets
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Type I, II, IV
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Type I, II, IV
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Type I, II, IV
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Ground Floor Facades between 2 and 10 feet
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60%
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60%
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60%
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60%
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Between 10 and 40 feet
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40%
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40%
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40%
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40%
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Window Requirement of Facades of Residential Uses Fronting a Complete Street by Street Type [2]
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All Streets
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Type I, II, IV
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Type I, II, IV
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Type I, II, IV
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Facades between 2 and 40 feet
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20%
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20%
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20%
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20%
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Notes:
[1] Plan district or overlay zone standards may supersede these standards.
[2] Ground floor residential uses should be raised a minimum of two feet from average sidewalk grade.
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Facade surface for non-residential
Facade surface for residential uses
Visual connection between indoor and outdoor spaces
Date Passed: Monday, December 14, 2009 Effective Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010 Ordinance C34522 Section 1 |
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